9 Months Later
by UnbrokenBarista
Summary: Set 9 Months after "Downloaded Child" I own nothing, all characters and italicized dialogue belongs to Dick Wolf and respective writers. I just enjoy playing with the characters. ONE SHOT, Reviews are always appreciated.


**This idea came to me early this morning and as I was thinking of it I was sobbing, and I knew that I had to write it ASAP. So, I wrote it. I'm already prepared that you're all going to hate me, so yeah. This is a ONE SHOT, and as the name implies, it takes place about 9 months after the end of Downloaded Child.**

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"_Yeah, what—what happened?" Brian asked, wanting to understand what exactly transpired between him and his lover. _

"_Well, Brian, I've been thinking about it. You know, you and me, we found each other at the darkest, lowest point of our lives right?" she asked as she looked over at him, walking down the side walk with him. "You got shot, demoted. I got…" she saw the look in his eyes, the hope that maybe she would let him in. "Hurt." She couldn't do it, and she saw the disappointment on his face. "And you got me through that," she said gently, linking their arms together. _

"_Well, we've always been there for each other, Liv," he said, fiddling with his hands. He knew where this was going. He could feel it._

"_You know, maybe that's what this was supposed to be. Maybe—maybe there's something even more right for each of us," she said as her voice shook. "I—I still think about having a family. Do you ever think about having kids with me, or—or growing old with me?" she asked, a quiet desperation in her voice. She may not have expressed it, but she loved Brian. She wanted a reason to hang on. She needed a reason. She knew his answer and tears started threatening to fall._

"_I just don't see myself growing old," he said solemnly._

_She smiled, her eyes shining with tears. "I know you don't. I know," she whispered._

"_Look Liv, there's something that's been on my mind for a long time now, something that I feel like I have to tell you."_

_She looked at him, worry evident in her face. "Go ahead. I can take it," she gave a gentle smirk, trying to lighten the heaviness in the air, in her heart._

"_No it's not like that- not at all, not even close." He gave a soft smile and stepped closer to her, seeing the panic on her face. "I love you," he said in a raspy whisper, trying to fight his own tears now._

_She smiled and shook her head a little, her voice betraying her. "I love you too, Brian." She took a breath. "Always will." She felt the tears brimming, threatening to spill, but she wouldn't cry, not now. He cradled her face in his hands and pulled her closer and he kissed her forehead. She smiled and felt a tear escape her eyes._

"_Let's go," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, turning so they could continue walking. His hand moved down so it was resting on her back as they walked together, their hearts aching._

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Olivia played that scene over and over in her mind a million times in the past nine months, kicking herself for not fighting harder, for not telling him about what happened with Lewis, when she knew he wanted to know. But now, as she looked down at her son she couldn't help but realize that maybe a man couldn't be in her life forever. No man but her son, because she fought for him, to be sure he was safe and happy.

Olivia adopted Baby Boy Doe a couple months after she and Brian split. Even though they parted on good terms, they didn't stay in close contact. It was too painful for them both. She survived another ordeal with William Lewis, and she became a mother, vowing to be a better mother to her son than the mother she grew up with, so she stopped drinking, almost all together, save for social occasions. Even then she didn't drink as much as she used to.

She was getting ready to go, picking her son up and smiling. "You ready to go home, baby?" she asked in a baby voice. "Yeah? We'll go home and watch Disney movies," she said kissing the top of his head.

Amanda walked in. "Liv, you're needed in interrogation one." She said, hoping her Sergeant wouldn't question her too much. She hated lying to her, again, but it was for a good cause.

"We don't have any suspects in the box."

"Just telling you what I was told," she shrugged.

"Can you watch him? I'll go talk to whoever this is."

"Bring him with you, trust me."

Olivia eyed Amanda suspiciously. "What's going on."

"Can't tell ya, gotta find out for yourself."

Olivia took a deep breath. "Alright." She looked at her son. "Let's go see who wants to see us."

She walked into the interrogation room and saw that the two way was blacked out. She gave a knock on the glass, alerting whoever it was to her presence before walking in. She gasped, feeling her heart clench. "Bri," she smiled gently, tears forming in her eyes. "It's been forever."

He smiled. "You look good, Liv. And who's this little guy?" he asked, referring to the almost one year old on her hip.

Olivia smiled at the small child curled into her. "This is my son."

"Is he—" Brian asked, the realization that this child could be his dawning on him."

Olivia looked at Brian. "You know me better than that, Brian. I would have told you." She kissed the top of her son's head. "You remember Baby Boy Doe? Well, he found someone to adopt him." She smiled, looking at him. "Mama loves you," she whispered to him, kissing the top of his head.

"He's beautiful."

Olivia smiled and fixed the little shirt he wore, one that said _My Mommy Can Kick Your Daddy's Butt_. "Thank you," she whispered and took a deep breath. "So, um, what—what are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, I am, I just—I'm a little surprised."

Brian nodded. "Yeah, I wanted to tell you a few things, things that needed to be said in person."

Her stomach dropped. "What? Are you okay?"

He chuckled at her concern for him. "I'm fine. I um, I just got back actually. I was UC for a few months. You know, while I was under, I had a lot of time to think. I couldn't stop thinking about you, and that last night."

Olivia nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about it too. It got me through the rough stuff."

"Rough stuff?"

"Lewis escaped, took me again, lured me with a little girl. I just kept playing you telling me you loved me over and over and over in my head. I don't think I would have made it otherwise."

"Liv, I am so sorry, I had no idea."

She shook her head. "It's nothing, it's over now. For good this time. Not long after that, this little one came into my life and he's helped his mama more than he'll ever understand." She looked at the boy who was looking at Brian. "But enough of my sob story, you said you were thinking?"

"Um, yeah. The UC operation ended in a shoot-out. Bullet grazed my thigh, and it was a wake-up call." He looked at her and smiled gently. He pushed a piece of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. She closed her eyes when she felt him touch her face. He caressed the soft skin of her cheek and then tilted her head so she was looking into his eyes. "It made me realize that I do want to grow old, and I want to grow old with you," he whispered.

She looked at him. "You—I—what?"

Brian chuckled and kissed her forehead. "I want to grow old with you," he whispered and looked into her eyes once again. "Laying in that hospital bed, I started thinking about the future, and the only scenario that came to my mind was sitting on a porch somewhere in a rocking chair with you, either by my side or in my lap, because we both know how much you love that, looking out at the sunset as we think about our lives together. I realized that is what I want. You're the only one I want it with."

She let out a breath, tears starting to run down her face. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

He nodded and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you, Olivia. I can't live without you, I tried. It's a sucky existence," he cradled her face in one hand, his other finding the small of her back, holding her close to him, as close as the young child in her arms would allow.

Olivia smiled gently. "I love you too, Bri." She felt him wipe a tear from her face. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"Are you saying—"

She bit her bottom lip. "When we're sitting on the porch rocking, thinking about our lives together, does include kids?"

He smiled. "It does now."

Her face glowed and she kissed him softly. She looked at her son. "Do you know who that is, baby?" she asked in a whisper.

He picked up his head and looked at Brian for a minute before outstretching his arms towards Brian. "Dada!" he giggled.

Brian looked between Olivia and the little boy. He smiled and took him from the arms of the woman he'd loved for more than fifteen years. "Hey there slugger," he beamed with fatherly pride.

Olivia smiled and crossed her arms. "You are his daddy, you know," she whispered. "I show him pictures all the time."

He rubbed the little boy's back and looked at Olivia. "What's his name?"

Olivia smiled, tears in her eyes. "His name is Brian."

"B—You—"

She nodded. "Brian Michael Cassidy Benson. Cassidy as one of his middle names, because he deserves his daddy's last name. I named him after the strongest, kindest, most compassionate man that I know. I named him after the only man I ever truly loved, the only man I still love with everything in me."

He felt tears in his eyes. "Liv, I don't know what to say."

"Say hello to your son, and then we are going to head back to the apartment where we're going to order take out and watch Disney movies with Brian, and when he goes to bed we're going to talk, about everything."

"Everything?"

She nodded. "Anything and everything, if we're going to work, we have to be able to talk, to confide in each other. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

He shook his head and smiled. "It's okay."

She nodded. "Brian," she whispered.

"Hm?" he asked, looking at his name sake, his son.

"Look at me." She saw his eyes meet her own and she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I love you," she mouthed. She leaned in and kissed him softly, caressing his face gently. He kissed her back and smiled against her lips.

"I love you too," he whispered against her lips.

She smiled and pulled away. "Come on, daddy, let's go home." She smiled brightly and the three of them walked out of the room together to see the whole squad standing there. "You all were listening?"

Amanda looked at her squad mates. "We just got here, we came in to check you were okay, you were in there long enough."

Olivia looked at Amanda. "For a gambler you're an awful liar."

"Which is why I'm 15k in the hole," she chuckled. "We're happy for you Liv, and Brian and Brian."

Olivia smiled and looked at the loves of her life, then back to Amanda. "Thanks. Now all of you, it's Friday night, go home."

Brian wrapped his free arm around Olivia and kissed the side of her head. "Come on, let's go have some family time."

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**A/N: Thanks for reading, please review here or on Twitter, UnbrokenBarista. I hope you don't all hate me too much.**


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